]> brgcoope Guide to the James Fenimore Cooper collection of papers,1825-1904 bulk (1825-1849) Processed by Staff; Machine-readable finding aid created by Lynn Lobash and Nina Schneider.

©2006 The New York Public Library. Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. All rights reserved.

 Machine readable finding aid created 2006. Description is in English Berg Coll MSS CooperGuide to the James Fenimore Cooper collection of papers,1825-1904 bulk (1825-1849) The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature The New York Public LibraryNew York, New York The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. New York Public Library. Room 320. Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street New York, NY 10018-2788 (212) 930-0802 brgref@nypl.org http://nypl.org/research/chss/spe/brg/berg.html Staff 2006 Lynn Lobash and Nina Schneider Processed and encoded through a gift from Gladys Kreible Delmas Foundation.

©2006 The New York Public Library. Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. All rights reserved.

 Descriptive Summary James Fenimore Cooper collection of papers, 1825-1904 bulk (1825-1849) Cooper, James Fenimore, 1789-1851. Berg Coll MSS Cooper45 items The New York Public Library. The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature
New York, New York
 This is a synthetic collection consisting of manuscripts, correspondence, and financial documents. Subjects Personal Names Bentley, Richard, 1794-1871. Conrad, Joseph, 1857-1924. Cooper, Susan Fenimore, 1813-1894. Fagan, J. (John) Field, Thomas W. (Thomas Warren), 1820-1881. Hart, Charles Henry, 1847-1918. Ingoldsby, Thomas, 1788-1845. Mead, James S. Ogden, James De Peyster, 1790-1870. Paulding, James Kirke, 1778-1860. Philips, Henry, 1839-1895. Russell, William, Lady. Scott, Walter, Sir, 1771-1832.Wilkes, Charles, 1798-1877. Gordan, John Dozier, 1907-1968, donor. Harden, Edward Walker, 1868- former owner. Howe, W. T. H. (William Thomas Hildrup), former owner. McAlenney, Paul E., former owner. Young, Owen D., 1874- former owner. Organizations Carey & Lea. Subjects Cooper, James Fenimore, 1789-1851. Document Types Correspondence Administration Information Source

This is a synthetic collection, created from materials acquired through gift and purchase from various sources.

 Custodial History

Previous owners include the publisher Richard Bentley, Edward Walker Harden, W. T. H. Howe, the Rev. Paul E. McAlenney, and Owen D. Young. The letters from Joseph Conrad to David Garnett were a bequest of John D. Gordan.

 Access

Collection is restricted to qualified scholars and researchers through the Office of Special Collections, Room 316

Restrictions on Use

For permission to publish, contact the Curator, The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature

 Preferred Citation

[Identification of the item]. The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library.

 Biography

James Fenimore Cooper was an American novelist, essayist, and writer of historical works.

 Scope and Content Note

This is a synthetic collection consisting of manuscripts, correspondence, and financial documents. The manuscripts comprise portions of his novels and stories including "Afloat and Ashore," "The Headsman," "Homeward Bound," "The Oak Openings, or, The Bee-Hunter," "The Prairie," "The Water Witch," and "Wyandotte"; as well as drafts of the essays "Old Ironsides" and "The History of the Navy of the United States." The correspondence consists of letters from the author, dating from 1825 to [1850], to John Fagan, Thomas W. Field, James S. Mead, J. D. P. Ogden, J. K. Paulding, Henry Philips, Lady William Russell, Charles Wilkes, the publishers Carey and Lea, and others; as well as letters, dating from [1842] to 1904, between various correspondents, including Richard Harris Barham, Richard Bentley, Joseph Conrad, Susan Fenimore Cooper, Charles Henry Hart, and others. There is also a letter addressed to Cooper from Sir Walter Scott, dated 1826.

 Series Descriptions Manuscripts Oversize (+) [Afloat and ashore] Preface. Chapters 1-30 [ie. Chapters 1-15, v. 3 and chapters 1-15, v. 4, of the Philadelphia, 1844, edition] Holograph. Some pages mutilated n.d. ms. 240 p. Oversize (+) "Afloat and ashore." Chapters 29-30 [ie. Chapters 14-15, v. 2, of the Philadelphia, 1844 edition] Holograph n.d. ms. 16 p.

Edward Walker Harden bookplate; Y.

Manuscript box [Headsman, The] Chapter II. Holograph fragment n.d. ms. 1 item Manuscript box [Headsman, The] One holograph leaf n.d. ms. 1 item

H.

Manuscript box [History of the navy of the United States, The] Holograph, incomplete. Many pages mutilated but complete and filed in single folder for each mutilated page n.d. ms. 364 p. in 91 folders

With manuscript fragment, in an unidentified hand, corresponding to Volume 3, p. 56-67 of the N.Y., Putnam, 1853 edition, dated [1851] 13 p.; with concluding marginal note, "Here ends the portion dictated by Mr. Cooper."; Text corresponds to the Philadelphia, Lea & Blanchard, 1839 edition

Oversize (+) Homeward bound. Manuscript with chapter headings and notations in the hand of Cooper n.d. ms. 480 p.

From the libraries of Richard Bentley, the English publisher, and Rev. Paul E. McAlenney; H.

Manuscript box [Oak openings, The; or, The bee hunter] Holograph n.d. ms. 4 p.

H.

Manuscript box Old Ironsides. Holograph of first installment. This portion ends with, "...Jumping Billy went to work," leaving 11 printed lines in addition to this manuscript n.d. ms. 36 p.

Published in Putnam's monthly magazine, v. 1, no. 5 (May, 1853), p. 473-487

Manuscript box Prairie, The. Part of chapter 26. Manuscript in the hand of his daughter, Susan Augusta Cooper, with ms. corrections by J. F. Cooper n.d. ms. 4 p.

H.

Manuscript box [Water witch, The] Holograph draft (fragment) from Chapters VI and VII with numerous corrections [1830] ms. 1 p. Oversize (+) Wyandotte. Holograph. Pages 102-108 wanting n.d. ms. 263 p.

Corresponds to Philadelphia, Lea and Blanchard, 1843 edition

Correspondence Outgoing Correspondence Carey and Lea, Messrs. ALS to [1826?] corr. out 1 p.

H.

Manuscript box Carey and Lea, Messrs. ALS to 1826 Apr. 9 corr. Out 1 p.

Y.

Manuscript box Carey, Lea and Carey, [Messrs.]. ALS to 1827 July 29 corr. out 1 p.

Y.

Manuscript box Clark, Lewis Gaylord. ALS to 1838 Sept. 9 corr. out 1 p.

Y.

Fagan, John. ALS to 1849 Mar. 3 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Fagan, John. ALS to 1849 Mar. 30 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Fagan, [John]. ALS to [1850 Feb. 8 or 1850 Feb. 9] corr. out 1 p.

H.

Field, Thomas W. ALS to 1848 Nov. 4 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Manuscript box Johnston, the Rev. Thomas B. ALS to 1844 Nov. 8 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Manuscript box Johnston, the Rev. Thomas B. ALS to 1845 May 26 corr. out 1 item

H.

Lyon, Monsieur de. ALS to 1825 Sept. 23 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Matthews and Duyckinck, Messrs. ALS to 1841 Dec. 6 corr. out 2 p.

H.

Mead, James S. ALS to 1836 Nov. 4 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Ogden, J. D. P. ALS to 1839 Feb. 5 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Paulding, J. K. ALS to 1846 May 9 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Manuscript box Philips, Henry. ALS to 1845 May 23 corr. out 1 p.

Y.

Manuscript box Russell, Lady William. ALS to. Refers to Moore's Life of Byron [1830 Mar. 15] corr. out 1 p.

Y.

Manuscript box Tefft, Israel Kreech. ALS to 1833 Nov. 29 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Manuscript box Thomas, George C. ALS to 1844 Nov. 8 corr. out 1 p.

Y.

Manuscript box Wilkes, Charles. Fragment of ALS to 1828 May 7 corr. out 1 p.

H.

Incoming Correspondence Scott, Sir Walter. ALS to Cooper [1826] Nov. 26 corr. In 1 leaf

With ANS at the head of letter in Cooper's hand. H.

Related Correspondence Manuscript box Barham, R. H. ALS to [Richard] Bentley. Mentions Cooper's Eve Effingham [1842] corr. About 1 item

B.

Manuscript box Barham, Richard Harris. AL to [Richard Bentley] with draft of preface for a proposed edition of J. F. Cooper's Homeward Bound on p. [2] [1842 Aug. 12] corr. About 1 item

Signed with initials. B.

Manuscript box Conrad, Joseph. 2 TL (copies) to David Garnett. Letter of Dec. 22, 1902 relates to J. F. Cooper [1902] Dec. 22; 1904 Dec. 23 corr. About 2 items

John D. Gordan bequest

Manuscript box (Cooper, J. F.) Cooper, Susan Fenimore. 7 ALS to Charles Henry Hart. Relates to S. F. Cooper's father, James Fenimore Cooper 1865 Dec. 9 - 1877 Sept. 27 corr. About 7 items in 2 folders Financial Documents Manuscript box (Cooper) Checks (2) made out to himself by James Fenimore Cooper 1846 June 8; 1846 July 3 financial docs. 2 items